The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Digitalis plant, commonly known as foxglove and botanically known as Digitalis obscura×Digitalis ambigua, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘WALDIGONE’.
‘WALDIGONE’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Walberton, Sussex, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program was to create free-flowering new Digitalis cultivars with numerous flowers with attractive coloration.
‘WALDIGONE’ originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2001 of the species Digitalis obscura as the female, or seed, parent and Digitalis ambigua as the male, or pollen, parent. ‘WALDIGONE’ was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2003 as a single flowering plant in a controlled environment in Walberton, Sussex, United Kingdom.
Plants of ‘WALDIGONE’ can be compared to the female parent, Digitalis obscura as follows: Compared to plants of the female parent, Digitalis obscura, plants of ‘WALDIGONE’ have broader leaves, and flowers which are more yellow in color.
Plants of ‘WALDIGONE’ can be compared to the male parent, Digitalis ambigua, as having narrower and more glabrous leaves and flowers which are more orange in color.
Plants of ‘ WALDIGONE’ can be compared to plants of the Digitalis cultivar ‘Spice Island’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,849) as follows: Plants of ‘WALDIGONE’ differ primarily from plants of ‘Spice Island’ in being less tall and quicker to come into flower. In addition, flowers of ‘Spice Island’ have much longer sepals and more projecting lower lips than flowers of WALDIGONE.
Asexual reproduction of ‘WALDIGONE’ was first accomplished by the inventor in 2003, using the method of tissue culture. Since that time, the distinguishing features of ‘WALDIGONE’ have been found to be are stable and to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.